A fox theif in Tokyo?
by Solaris Moon
Summary: Rose has overcome one of the worst things in the world: seeing your former best friend die. She's gotten through some tough times with Kurama's help, but can she conquer this new development?
1. Default Chapter

A Fox Thief?! 

By Solaris Moon

Summary: When Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara go to a nearby kareoke place, they hear a red haired girl with brown eyes sing. Her voice draws them to her, and Kurama feels that he knows her from somewhere. The next visit he makes to Reikai, he asks Koenma who she is. Will romance bloom? Or is this one sided love doomed from the start? Read and find out.

Solaris: Hi! Foxglove has finally gotten something to eat, but she's still as disagreeable as ever. If she gets too out of hand, I'm tying her up until I write the next chapter. 

Foxglove: Oh, save me from her crummy threats.

Solaris: Foxglove…*glares*

Kurama: Uh… On with the fic! Solaris doesn't own YYH. Be grateful she doesn't…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, is anyone else bored?" Yusuke asked one evening. The girls were out of town at Botan's place in Reikai. Some sleepover.

"Well, to put it bluntly, yes." Kurama sighed.

"Hey! There's a new kareoke place nearby, let's go there!" Kuwabara shouted (a/n: As if he does anything else. Sorry to all Kuwabara fans for my bashing!)

"Ka-re-oke?" Hiei said, sounding out each syllable. "What is that?"

"You'll see when we get there, then." Kurama said as he grabbed his jacket, since it was early autumn, and night. 

****

~Later**~**

"I'm thinking that we may have had a better time staying home." Hiei said. He obviously thought that everyone who had come up to sing had an awful voice. 

"Oh, Hiei, it isn't that bad." Yusuke sighed.

"Yeah, shrimp, it could be worse." laughed Kuwabara loudly. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a voice sounded on the loudspeaker. 

"Please welcome our next contestant, who has asked that her name not be given. She favors a nickname. Please welcome… the Unknown Kitsune!" The voice stopped as a tall redhead with brilliant brown eyes wearing a purple and black dress stepped onstage. Her striking appearance was heightened by the ruby red rose tucked behind one ear, which drew attention to the curly waves of her hair. She stepped quietly up to the microphone, her face displaying a quiet knowledge of the world and worldly matters. Kurama stared at the female figure that graced the stage in that Tokyo kareoke place. He felt he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't place where.

"Hey, does she seem like a fox to you?" Hiei asked. Kurama nodded just as the music struck up and the girl began to sing.

"Watashi no kokoro ni…" Her voice was brilliant and bright, a sound reminiscent of the sirens of myth, a forlorn and beautiful sound. All Kurama (and the rest of the YuYu crew for that matter) could do was sit and listen. And watch, her stage presence was commanding. 

The song ended and she took one small bow, as the clapping sounded, a deafening chorus of thunder, and left the stage. Kurama left the others on some pretense and followed the stunning redhead. "Excuse me, miss! Miss!" he called. The redhead turned around and tripped. Kurama rushed over to her. "Miss, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you trip."

he said as he helped her to her feet. She pushed her hair back behind her ear and smiled weakly. 

"Oh, it's not your fault. It's these heels, not to mention my natural klutziness. Oh, but I lost my rose! Oh, no!" she mourned. Kurama pulled a rose like hers from under his hair.

"Here. Since I made you lose your rose," he said as he gave her the rose. She tucked it behind her ear and smiled again. "Shall we sit?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thank you, uh… I don't believe I caught your name," she said as she took the seat offered to her.

"Shuichi Minamino. I just wanted to say that you did a great job singing. I never caught your name either," he said, not wanting to pry into her business. 

"Well, it's…" she began to say, then looked at her watch. "Oh, I have to go! I'm sorry. Goodbye!" she called as she ran to the door. 

"Miss! Can't I call a taxi or something?" Kurama yelled, but it was too late. The mysterious beauty had slipped from his grasp. He rejoined the group, a little downhearted from his missed chance to know beauty. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Solaris: Well, I did end up having to tie Foxglove up, but I got some work done, thank God. 

Foxglove: MMFMUFUMUX!!!

Solaris: Nope. Not until the end of the next chapter.

Kurama: Oh, brother. Please Read and Review! No flames, please!

Solaris: Yeah, after that incident with the fire department, I have no desire to even hear a smoke alarm in a movie go off.


	2. Who was that?

Chapter 2: Who was that?

Solaris: Hi! Foxglove isn't getting untied until I finish this chapter, and I might not even then. 

Kurama: Aren't you being a little harsh?

Solaris: Nope, not a bit. 

Kurama: Aren't you forgetting something?

Solaris: Oh, yeah, I don't own YYH, and if you sue, I'll sic Foxglove on you. I have no guarantees that she'll be merciful.

Kurama: Besides the fact that you're broke, so suing won't do any good.

Solaris: If it weren't time for me to start the fic, I'd be depressed. On with the fic!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kurama, you've been moping around all day. What's your problem?" Yusuke asked. Kurama didn't hear him; he was too busy contemplating the beauty that had escaped him. Hiei walked to Kurama and pushed his long red hair away from one ear.

"HN!" (Translation: Hey, are you awake!) 

Kurama jumped. "Sorry, I just can't keep my mind on one thing today." he apologized.

"Well, if it's about that girl, why don't we go visit Koenma? He's sure to know who she is and where she lives." Kuwabara said. Almost everyone was shocked, but they got over it. After all, Kuwabara was a pretty weird guy; he could say as many smart things as dumb. (A/n: Again, sorry for my Kuwabara bashing! I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but I can't make any promises!) So it was decided. The Reikai Tantei went to the Spirit World to visit Koenma. Once there, Hiei pushed Kurama in the office of the fairly busy Jr. God of Death. Yusuke had called ahead, so for the past 10 minutes, Koenma had been looking up information on the mysterious girl.

"Kurama, this is all the info I can give you on that girl. Sorry, but you have to learn her name on your own. It'll be good for you." Koenma told Kurama. He picked up the sheet of paper with the information on it and looked over it.

Age: 15

Place of Residence: Currently America, soon to be Tokyo Japan.

School: Currently unknown, soon to be Meiou high school.

Kurama stopped reading right then. "That's my school. And she's moving here?"

Koenma nodded. "So if you see her, you might want to watch your manners. Remember, she doesn't know who you really are, and I think life would be better that way."

Kurama took another look at the paper. "So, you even got her future address. Wow. How soon will she be moved in? I want to visit her."

"Sometime tomorrow, at least, that's when she'll be unpacking, so far as I know. Also, I know you think that you know her from somewhere, but don't try to bring it up. Most people don't remember past lives. Only bring it up if she has recurring dreams about past events she can't remember. Don't shatter her life until she brings something up. Reincarnations are a tricky thing to preserve."

Kurama smiled. "I won't. She's safe from any thing that could cause confusion in her life." Then he left. As he got home, he put the paper in his desk drawer and smiled, knowing it would be tough to wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: Wow! I got some work done without Foxglove's big mouth bothering me! 

Kurama: *unties Foxglove* That wasn't nice.

Foxglove: Don't waste your time. She can't be nice.

Solaris: Shut up, Foxglove.

Kurama: Before this escalates, please read and review! No flames, please!


	3. The meeting

The Meeting

Solaris: Well, Foxglove and I have called a truce. 

Kurama: Yeah, because I brought them the portable TV/VCR and "Spirited Away".

Foxglove: And that's one of the few things we can agree on. Anime. 

Solaris: Okay, I don't own YYH, and neither does Foxglove. Kurama has a part in it, duh, but that's the only connection we have to it. *Puts in the movie and watches, Foxglove watching too*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day came and Kurama walked the few blocks to the mysterious girl's new home. He wore his normal school uniform (A/n: you know, the one that looks pink on the anime, but it isn't. At least, I don't think it is. Everyone has his or her own opinion.) and carried the paper in his pocket. As he stopped in front of the house, he looked at the paper to be sure. Then he pocketed it again and walked up the paved walkway. (A/n: I know, I know, it's redundant! But I don't care!) He rang the doorbell and waited. Presently, he heard a female's voice shouting, "I've got it, Mom!"

He felt nervous; after all, he hardly knew the girl, and showing up like this wouldn't seem right. The door opened and the red haired girl stood there. Her hair was tied back in a blue patterned bandana and she wore an old blue shirt and some jeans. She even looked striking in that. "Yes?" she asked, obviously confused. Then realization dawned on her lovely face. "Wait, I know you. You're the guy from the kareoke place, Shuichi?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes. I, uh, heard from a person I know that you moved here. So, uh, what school are you going to? What grade?" he asked. It sounded clumsy, even to him, but she just smiled.

"I'm going to Meiou High. 10th grade. Is that what grade you're in?" she asked.

"Yes. How wonderful."

"Yeah, the same school. Isn't that a coincidence? Oh, I'm so scatterbrained! Please, come in. Sorry for the confusion. I'm unpacking my stuff." she said as she led him in. Following the Japanese custom of taking one's shoes off upon entering a house, he walked in the house. 

"So, I never did catch your name at the kareoke place. May I ask what it is?" he asked, trying not to make her feel pressured to answer. She smiled and nodded.

"It's Rose. Just Rose, for the time being." she answered and got to her feet. Running to the kitchen, Kurama wondered if Rose was all she seemed. He seemed to remember some infamous fox spirit by that name, but he wasn't sure what gave her the infamy. She returned, holding some food and drinks. 

"Sorry for how meager this must seem. It's all I've been able to buy lately. Mom's out shopping now, so if you come by later, you could probably get a better meal." she apologized, looking genuinely sorry. 

"No, it's all right. I remember when a friend of mine moved to his new house. It was a real struggle. His old house had burnt down, and he had a hard time moving in his new home, but he got settled pretty quick. I'm sure you will too. Are you going to be a regular at the kareoke place?" Kurama asked in curiosity. 

"Well, yeah. I like to sing. It's gotten me in trouble a few times, but that's no big deal. Do you go there often?"

"No, the night you snag was the first night I'd ever gone there. If you're going to be a regular there, I'll start coming more often." he said, his heart skipping a beat. She grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper from her cluttered coffee table and wrote hurriedly on it. She then gave him the paper and pen.

"It's my phone number." she explained. Kurama gave her his number as well.

"And here's mine. When you go for the kareoke, call me and I'll show up. I promise." he smiled. She laughed happily. 

After a while, Kurama left. He hated to, but she had unpacking to finish and he had to get home. His mother would worry. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: WAHHH! That was so SWEET! *Cries happily*

Foxglove: Yeah! *Cries with her*

*Both cry at the sheer beauty of the movie*

Kurama: Well, while those two cry, please review, and no flames. Foxglove doesn't take kindly to them.


	4. Rose's dream

Chapter 4: Her dream

Solaris: *still crying over Spirited Away*

Foxglove: *still crying as well*

Kurama: Well, since those two seem to be in tears still, I'll do the disclaimer. Solaris and Foxglove don't own YYH or anything else famous that might appear in this story. Especially Spirited Away. All they own is a copy of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yieeee!" Rose cried as she sat bolt upright. Her face was the very picture of shock and dismay and she held her head in her hands. "Why does this KEEP happening to me?" she cried, shaking her head. All her life, she'd had a strange dream. She was a tall red head of about 15, but she wasn't normal. She had a fox tail and ears, and her hair was longer than normal. A long dress of emerald green was on her lithe body and she seemed to be sneaking around. She went into buildings, coming out again rapidly. Once the fox girl returned to her hideout, she opened a pouch and dumped some beautiful jewels onto a table. This wasn't what frightened her, though. At the near last of the dream, the fox girl suddenly fell over, a small dagger in her back. The dagger was her partner's, and she still had her katana on hip, ready to use to help. Her partner had killed her for the jewels. The dreams, which she had hoped would cease once she moved to Japan, had gotten worse. Even getting into a routine of going and singing kareoke on Fridays hadn't helped. Prior to her move to Japan, her life had been a "whatever, whenever for fun" type of life. Her Fridays had been spent going to movies, the mall, the library, theater, or more. Many nights she didn't come home until midnight, simply because she had lost track of time. Yet, in the week she'd lived in Japan, and the time spent just visiting, her dreams had just increased in intensity. Most nights, the images in her head were like an old photograph: faded and dark. But now, they were clear, bright, as if they were truly happening. 

"Oh, man… I wonder if Shuichi would be awake now." she wondered as she looked at the clock. It was almost 2 A.M. She'd just gotten home from singing a few hours ago. He probably would be asleep. She couldn't wake him, it just wouldn't be right. Just then, her phone rang. 

"Moshi Moshi?" she said quietly. 

"It's Shuichi." came his voice. _How odd, just when I thought of calling him, _she thought.

"I was just thinking of you!" she said happily. "I had this crazy dream. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. At the park near the kareoke place, all right?" she said, mentally sighing in relief. She'd kept the dream a secret from her own mother and father even. 

"How about now? I called because I sort of guessed that you weren't asleep. Plus, I felt you wanted to talk." he said. This knowledge comforted her immensely. "At the park, okay?" he said.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Rose said, smiling even though he couldn't see it. After a few more moments of back and forth conversation, she hung up and grabbed her jacket. Padding down the stairs, she threw on some shoes and walked to the park. Her parents knew of her midnight wanderings, and they didn't care. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: Sorry so short, but I needed to reveal her dream.

Foxglove: Please read and review! 

Kurama: And no flames please!


	5. The dream and it's meaning I

Chapter 5: At the park

Solaris: Hi! Sorry it took me so long to update. I haven't been able to get online for a while, not to mention play tryouts. God awful things… But anyway, here's chapter 5! Oh and please read my other story, The Tokyo Show. It's not much right now, but it'll get better soon. 

Kurama: Hey, Solaris, I thought you were watching Princess Mononoke? 

Solaris: Uh, I was. I just needed a soda.

Foxglove: And the computer happened to be on and you just noticed it was online?

Solaris: Uh, yeah. Pretty much.

Foxglove: Oh, whatever. Just do the disclaimer and get your rear end back in the other room so we can finish Princess Mononoke.

Solaris: All right. I don't own YYH, and neither does Foxglove. Not for her lack of trying… Happy now, foxglove?

Foxglove: Yes, immensely. Now, on with the fic!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rose sat on the bench at the park. It had been about 5 minutes since she'd gotten off the phone with Shuichi. She was still waiting, and now wishing that she'd worn something longer than shorts. It was a little chilly. Soon, she saw the now familiar red of Shuichi's hair. "Finally…" she muttered.

"I got here as soon as possible. What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked. Rose felt pure simple relief, just from knowing that she could unburden the weight of her dream. 

"Okay, well, I'm in this dream, but I'm this tall red headed fox thing. And a thief, I almost forgot, a thief. And I've stolen all these jewels. At the near end of the dream, I get killed by my partner, even though I was going to half profits and help protect her. I was stabbed in the back. The real end, at least when I wake up, is when the spirit is going to someone else, and it looks like my mother. That's when I wake up. Most times I'm breathing really hard, and my heart is pounding. Like tonight." Rose explained. 

"Really? Have you told anyone else?" Shuichi asked curiously. Rose noted that he sounded really interested. 

"No, this is the first time I've told anyone. They've gotten worse since I moved. And got on a normal track." she sighed, burying her head in her hands.

"Oh. Anything else about the dream?" he asked.

"Yeah, they feel like a memory." she sighed. He patted her on the back, just once.

"Well, I don't know much to say about this. I've got a friend who might know more of this phenomenon than I. I'll ask him and get back to you tomorrow on it. All right?" Shuichi asked. Rose could hardly object.

"If it'll end these crazy dreams, I'm all for it. Same place, around 6?" she asked, to make sure. He nodded. "Great. Thanks, Shuichi. I'm going to run for a while before I go home. I'm going to be in a little trouble as it is for leaving the house at 2 A.M., anyhow. May as well get some exercise. See you tomorrow." 

"Sure. Good night." Shuichi told her. She ran off, forgetting the dream, feeling as light as air from telling her dream.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: Well, sorry so short. I'll try to update tomorrow, too. 

Foxglove: Please review! 

Kurama: *watching Princess Mononoke *


	6. Who is she? What is she? misnumbered

Chapter 5: Who IS she? What is she? 

Solaris: Well, I only have a minute before they show up to drag me back to Princess Mononoke, so here's a summary and my disclaimer. Last time, Rose told Kurama about her dream and the strange things about it. What does it mean? (My advice: Don't break out the dream dictionaries yet, y'all.) What's in store for Rose and Kurama, and the rest of the Reikai Tantei, for that matter? Read and find out. Oh and here's my disclaimer: I don't own YYH. Foxglove doesn't own YYH. All we own are issues of the Shonen Jump with the YYH manga in it. So, don't sue us. 

Foxglove: SOLARIS! GET IN HERE, NOW!

Solaris: Yes, my stubborn muse without whom I'd be… much better off on some days.

Foxglove: I HEARD THAT!

Solaris: I know you did. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kurama sat at his desk the next evening. Homework had been piled on all the students of Meiou High, and it was only the 2nd week back. Everything that anyone had gotten used to doing on Fridays had been moved to Saturday nights, including Rose's kareoke singing. 

"Let's see, the sum of x+95 times pi…" he mumbled, working the sum out on a scrap sheet of paper. (A/n: I'm just thinking on that problem, I'm not even sure if it's a real problem. I'm only in Algebra 2, for crying out loud!) Just then, the phone rang. Kurama sighed in relief; he really didn't look forward to trying to work that problem. "Moshi Moshi?" he said after picking up the phone.

"Kurama? Hey, you found out anything on that girl?" came Yusuke's voice. There was a low, incoherent mutter and Yusuke sighed in frustration. "Kuwabara's here too. He wants to know if she's available. Hey, baka, I thought Yukina was your one true love!"

"Strangely enough, so did I." Kurama said, mentally laughing at Kuwabara's idiotic antics. Then came a voice over the phone that was Kuwabara's. 

"She is! I was just curious!" he shouted. Then Yusuke reclaimed the phone.

"So, found anything out yet?"

"Yes. She's been having weird dreams all her life. Dreams that she's a fox girl thief. I say we schedule a visit to Koenma sometime this week to ask him about it." Kurama suggested, hitting the eraser end of his pencil against the desk for something to do. 

"Great idea. I'll see about it. Well, sayonara." Yusuke said, and hung up the phone.

Kurama hung up and stared at the sheet of paper for a moment before finishing the problem. Then Hiei said "hn" loudly, alerting Kurama to his presence. Kurama turned around to see the fire youkai sitting on the end of his bed. 

"Dreams, huh? You sure you need to wait to see Koenma? He might want to know about this now." Hiei stated. 

"No. I'd rather wait. He told me that the knowledge of her probable reincarnation might shatter her life. I don't want that to happen." Kurama told him. He had another reason, and he hoped Hiei didn't know it. Unfortunately, Hiei knew.

"You like her, don't you? That's why you've been going to hear her sing and helping her on her homework. I thought so," he said in a sort of superior way. Kurama looked down and turned back to his homework. Hiei "hn"-ed and left. 

Kurama finished his homework shortly after and ate dinner. He couldn't help feeling that something was not right. He grabbed his jacket and left after telling his mother he was going out. As Kurama walked, he thought distractedly of different things. He found himself walking to the park he had met Rose at a few nights previous. He heard the sound of a person walking, but just barely audible. As he looked around, his eyes fell on a familiar shade of red hair in a braid… ROSE! She seemed to be sneaking around, and he noticed something else strange: she had a fox's tail and ears. 

"Rose…" he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: What is Rose doing? Why is she sneaking around? And for the Kurama plushie question, how in the three worlds did she get a fox tail and ears? Read the next chapter to find out. 

Foxglove: Read. Review.

Kurama: No flames please. Now girls, why did you sneak off to? 

Solaris and Foxglove: Somewhere.


	7. What is going on?

Chapter 7: What is going on?

Solaris: They've tried tying me up and I got free of that, so here I am! Standard disclaimer: I don't own YYH + Foxglove doesn't own YYH = Us no own, you no sue. That said, on to the story! 

Foxglove: SOLARIS! 

Solaris: And my run! Byes! ^_^;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Rose? What is she doing out here?" Kurama asked himself. She couldn't have a fox tail and ears; she was human, so far as anyone knew. He made up his mind to follow her as she walked away. Silently and swiftly he trailed her, her ears and tail making her easy to follow. Even so, she wasn't easy to keep up with. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. 

"There's no one there," he heard her whisper. 

"Course there wouldn't be, you're in the tree." Kurama heard Hiei whisper from behind him. "I've been following her for a while now. When I saw you, I decided to let you follow ahead of me. Then you jumped in the tree."

"Well, one mystery solved. Any clue where she's going?" Kurama asked, relieved it was only Hiei. Hiei shrugged and they resumed following her again. She stopped at a nearby stream and sank to her knees. The sound of sobbing was audible even from the few feet's distance away. 

"Why is this happening to me? I can't find her to exact my revenge! She killed me, I want my revenge!" the fox girl cried. Kurama moved to a better vantage point and saw the silvery tears streaming from her brilliantly brown eyes. He knew that this was indeed Rose, no other person he knew had brown eyes that brilliant. Suddenly, Youko Kurama spoke up. (A/n: For a while, this is going to be in script format. Okay? Good.)

__

Youko: Hey, I think I know her! Let me talk to her. 

__

Kurama: You ought to know her; I know her. And why should I let you? Last girl you talked to ran off screaming "hentai! You hentai!" It took weeks to convince everyone that I am not a pervert.

__

Youko: No, I mean I _know_ her. From when I was a thief. Let me talk to her. 

__

Kurama: And repeat the "pervert" incident? No way! 

__

Youko: Come on. I'll tell you about her when we get home. Please?

__

Kurama: Well, all right, but I'm only giving you one chance. 

__

Youko: Thanks.

(A/n: Okay, enough script format.) Youko stepped out of the forest. The fox girl looked up, tears still falling. "What do you want, Youko?" she asked, a touch of venom in her voice.

"So you remember me, Thorne. Good." Youko smiled. Thorne got to her feet and slapped Youko hard.

"Of course I would! After you tried to steal those jewels that time, I think I can remember that! You and your little friend Kuronoe attempting to charm me and Lexi so you could get our jewels! Well, I'm wise to you now, and I go on instinct now, not feelings!" she shouted angrily. 

"Too bad you can't say the same for Lexi, now, huh? She fell so in love with Kuronoe that she killed you after he died. She thought you had him killed. We all know better, right?" Youko taunted.

"If I could have I would have! But I haven't got links to mercenaries, baka!" she shouted furiously. "Then Lexi killed me and I had to wait to find a suitable body!"

"So? I found the one your mortal self likes. Which shows how kind fate is." he said, smiling. Thorne scowled. 

"I don't have time for this! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to mourn how my life can't be normal!"

"No one's life is normal. Give up." Youko said. Thorne stormed off and Youko smiled. "My job is done." 

Inwardly, Kurama sighed and reminded Youko of his promise. "All right, all right, I'll tell you. Now I'm transforming back and I'll tell you at home." Kurama changed back to his human self and nodded in satisfaction. He'd find out the truth without having to visit Koenma.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solaris: I'm afraid for my life now. Foxglove has threatened to mortally injure me if I didn't get the second chapter of the Tokyo show on the air now, so I have to go. Please read and review!


	8. She is

Chapter 8: She is…

Solaris: LEMME GO! 

Foxglove: Nope, not a chance. It's my turn to do the disclaimer and I think you need to sit this one out.

Solaris: *cunning smile * Let me go and I'll talk to Kurama about getting Hiei here to meet you.

Foxglove: Ah! HIEI-SAMA! *Lets Solaris go * 

Solaris: All right! Disclaimer: We don't own YYH. But we wish…

Foxglove: Hiei-sama would be mine, for instance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they got home, Kurama began to write. He didn't want his human mother to think he was crazy, and he didn't think his stepfather and stepbrother would think he was sane either. Youko looked at it and smiled mentally. (A/n: Kurama's writing is in italics, Youko's is in plain script.)

__

So tell me what you know of Rose and Thorne.

I don't know much about your Rose, but Thorne is another story.

__

She's not MY Rose, and tell me about Thorne then.

Well, touchy. Anyway, Thorne was once a great thief, feared and revered by many for her "touch my jewels without my permission and you die" attitude. That and the fact that she was ruthless. If you got hurt, she was like "Pfhtt. Goodbye, and hand over the loot." Luckily, Lexi didn't get hurt often. 

__

Often? What do you mean by often?

Well, I can only remember one time when she got hurt. She tripped and sprained her ankle. Thorne came over, took the jewels and left. Lexi got to her feet in an instant and tried to beat Thorne over the head. She failed, fortunately for Thorne. 

__

Oh.

My first impression also. Now, to skip ahead to a few years later. Kuronoe and I had just stolen something shiny and we were making our getaway. Unfortunately, Lexi and Kuronoe ran into each other. Literally. Thorne, in her haste to get away, came back and started chewing Lexi out. And then I noticed the very full bag on her hip. So I ran and took it and looked inside before she beat me over the head and reclaimed her jewels. I saw lots of emeralds and rubies, even some jade. I tried to leave, but Kuronoe stuck around to see if he could steal some of the jewels. So we hung around a while and stole some stuff and maimed a few people, Thorne doing most of the maiming. 

__

Why does this not surprise me?

Didn't surprise me, either. Then we had a falling out and our two groups split up. After a while, Kuronoe got himself killed going back for that pendant and I had to deliver the news to Lexi when we met again. Thorne really did yell "Thank Inari!" Lexi looked like she was going to cry. And she did. Then a few months later, she killed Thorne for the loot and as revenge. It was such a surprise to Thorne that she couldn't get her wit to work quick enough to have any memorable final words.

__

How do you know this if you two had a falling out?

The bounty hunters bragged about it before they killed me. I heard them laugh about it. Then I almost died. The rest is, as they say, history.

__

I see. One, did Thorne have any final words, and two, how old was she when she died?

First, yes, she did. She vowed revenge. Exact words: I'll die again before I let you get away with this. And next, she was a little over 1,000 years old. I'm just wondering why they granted the little brat a reincarnation. Oh, and in case you wonder, Lexi died a few years later due to bounty hunters. No reincarnation for her. Not as far as I know.

(A/n: Okay, this sequence is over! Back to the original story type!)

Kurama put away the pencil and mentally thanked Youko for the information. Then he called Yusuke, who sounded like he'd been asleep. 

"Yeah?" he yawned.

"Yusuke, it's Kurama." 

"Obviously. I was having a good dream. What is it?" Yusuke said.

"You can cancel that visit with Koenma. I've got all the information I need." Kurama said, satisfied.

"Okay, tell me. I won't let anyone know." Yusuke said. Kurama answered all the questions he could. After the q & a session, Yusuke said "Yeah, but Youko didn't know her all that well. So he could be wrong on a few details. Especially about Lexi's death. Didn't it happen a few years after his death?"

Youko took over. "Hey, Rose has proved that dreams sometimes provide clues. I dreamed that a few years after my half-death." Kurama returned to normal. "Sorry. He took over."

"It's fine. But I still think you ought to see Koenma." Yusuke said.

"Fine, I will. But I don't think he'll have much more info. Thieves tend to keep their own council." Kurama said. After a little more talking, he hung up, resolving to see Koenma as soon as possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Foxglove: Okay, now that Solaris is knocked out, I'm going to end this insanity for now. Read. Review. No flames, please.

Solaris: *Asleep due to a well placed hit with a hammer *

Kurama: Don't you think you overdid it a bit, Foxglove? 


	9. More about Rose

Chapter 9: Another visit to Koenma and Rose reappears!

Solaris: They are looking for me. I seriously don't think Foxglove is going to want me to do the disclaimer, but I'm doing it anyway. I… don't own YYH. *Sob * Foxglove doesn't own YYH. *Sob * We… can only wish.

Foxglove: She's over there! Let's get her! 

Kurama: Why are you dragging me into this?

Solaris: Uh… Byes!

**********************

Rose (Chapter 9, Part 1)

Rose woke later, her jacket and skirt soaked in dew and her joints slightly stiff. Planting her hands firmly underneath her, she pushed herself up, digging her nails into the ground to prevent herself from slipping on the dew-damp ground. "Ohhhh, how did I end up here?" she moaned, stretching. She looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh, my God! I'm late for school! Heck, I'm not even ready for school!" She got to her feet and ran, slipping on the dewy grass the whole way home. Her mother and father had day jobs and weren't home on a normal basis. However, her mother was home for some unknown reason. Rose decided that it might be best not to go in at that moment, so she returned to the park. Most of that day was spent sleeping, since Rose could hardly keep her eyes open, and the times she was awake, she felt absolutely miserable.

Kurama (Chapter 9, Part 2) 

Saturday evening, Kurama went straight from school to Reikai. Koenma knew he was coming and he was ready.

"All right, I know what happened. I have info on Thorne. Says here she was a true thief, cared for no one else but herself. Youko's details on her death and some of her life were correct. The bounty hunters were laughing that partners could and generally would kill each other off." Koenma explained.

"What about her home life? Before she became a thief?" Kurama asked.

"We don't know about the people before they do something. We can only do so much. The only way to get the best info is from Thorne herself. And I have a feeling she won't tell. But we do know one thing: she was an orphan. Rose isn't, granted, but Thorne was." Koenma said. Kurama nodded. "So, now we know about her reincarnation. I still want you to keep this information from her. It might shatter her life, even if there is an off chance that she knows of it now. And, by the way, Rose is in the park."

"Which park?" Kurama asked. 

"The park I'm going to send you to. Sayonara." Koenma said, waved, and Kurama left. 

Return home (Chapter 9, part 3)

Kurama looked around for Rose's distinctive reddish hair. He almost missed her; she was asleep at the base of a tree in a dense forest. He went and knelt by her. "Rose? Rose, wake up, it's Shuichi."

The delicate-looking girl woke up and gasped. "Oh, no, did I miss school? Did I pass out again?" 

"Again?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah, I've woken up at random times today and fully intended to go home and get ready for school, but I suppose I kept dozing off. I woke up here this morning totally soaked in dew and feeling miserable." she mourned. Then she sneezed. Kurama put a hand to her forehead.

"You have a fever! And after passing out in the forest like that, I'm not surprised! Come on, I'll get you home." he said, and promptly picked her up. Rose's blush from her fever deepened.

"Oh, you really don't have to…" she began.

"Nonsense. I'm surprised that you didn't faint this morning. Now, let's get you home." Kurama said stubbornly. (A/n: Being stubborn is not a bad thing. I'm stubborn, myself.)

Then they headed home, Kurama carrying Rose the whole way.

"Honestly, Rose, how could you have gotten sick spending the night at a friend's house?" her mother asked after Shuichi had left. 

"Trust me, Mom, it's a long, *yawn * long story…" Rose said, yawning and falling asleep.

*************************

Solaris: Read and review please! I'd better get to running! Bye for now!

Foxglove: GET BACK HERE!


	10. Memories

A Fox Thief in Tokyo?

Chapter 10: The thoughts of Thorne

Solaris: I'm currently hiding in a closet so Foxglove can't kill me. Anyhow, thanks to all the reviewers and please review again! 

Foxglove: And for when I find Solaris, please suggest a way for me to torture her. Something painful and long running, preferably. 

Solaris: Please ignore my muse, don't suggest anything painful or long running… Please?

**********************

Thorne escaped from the confining room and home in a sort of unfamiliar area. She knew her reincarnation had to live here, but she didn't. And she could go out any time she wanted. _Maybe if I get out and go where I feel drawn to, I can figure out why this place feels so familiar… _she thought. As she wandered the place her reincarnation knew as Tokyo, she figured out how she knew it. _This place has changed a lot since 900 years ago…_

*Flashback *

The tall, reddish haired fox girl dodged and wove between trees, quickly and effectively escaping her pursuers. The jewels she had stolen would keep her and Lexi in food for years or at least pay for an afternoon of fun and a gourmet dinner that night. Lexi hadn't been able to participate in this theft; she'd hurt her ankle bad enough that she had been doing good to hobble over to her the few days previous to try and beat her over the head for taking the jewels she had stolen. She approached the cave she had chosen for their hideout with caution. After all, one never knew when the bounty hunters and angry villagers would arrive. No one was there except her partner in crime.

"Hey, Lexi, how's the ankle?" she asked jovially as she entered.

"Better. So, did you get the jewels?" the dog demon asked, her furry ears perking up. Thorne simply smiled and held up the two bulging bags of diamonds, jade, rubies and emeralds as her answer. Lexi grinned and got to her feet and they began splitting the heist 50/50.

*End flashback *

Somehow, Thorne found herself sitting on the windowsill of a familiar-looking person. Then she recalled: her reincarnation knew him as "Shuichi Minamino". In his sleep, he looked oddly like the Kurama she knew, and may well have once loved. It wasn't likely, however. _Oddly enough, that was the night I met Kurama…_

*flashback * 

Later that evening, the two returned to the Spirit World, ate at a local tavern and basically had a good time. As they left, they looked at the full-to-bursting bag on Thorne's hip, and each considered where to spend it next. Just as the two girls walked out into the semi-open, someone ran and knocked Lexi over; a black-haired, distinctly different person. Lexi's face turned a light pink as she saw who had knocked her over inadvertently. Thorne could acknowledge that he was cute in a sense, but it didn't matter; even the cutest person in Reikai could be out to take their jewels. Thorne fumed and stormed over to her partner in crime.

"Lexi, what are you doing? We're supposed to be thieves, not bystanders who get run over every chance they get! What's your problem?" she practically shouted. Suddenly, something snatched at the hip pouch and she felt only lightness at the side of her body the bag had hung on. "Hey!" she shouted as she saw a silvery haired someone with ears like hers (except silvery white) opening the bag to see the fruits of her heist. Somehow, anger gave her wings and she rushed to the familiar person and beat them over the head, reclaiming the beautiful gems. "Those are mine, I believe." she said, staring down her nose at the familiar form of Kurama. "And the person you ran into, Lexi, must be Kuronoe. Nice to meet you in the flesh, Kurama. Now leave my jewels alone." Thorne said stormily. The foxish figure rose to his feet. 

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Little miss attitude, and self-proclaimed Queen of thieves, Thorne. Good haul?" he asked jovially. 

*end flashback * 

Thorne smiled a small smile and watched the sleeping figure. _He really looks like Kurama did in his sleep… but why am I thinking of that time now! _

*flashback * 

The theft had gone without a hitch. It had been a few weeks since the two groups had joined forces, and any theft the four spirits had attempted had succeeded beautifully. Now it was night, late, and the four had settled down in a dense forest and, in Lexi's, Kuronoe's, and Kurama's cases, fallen asleep. However, Thorne simply lay there, staring at Kurama's sleeping face. _He seems so… peaceful. Much different from the Kurama I know by day... _she thought. The sleeping form stirred slightly and she sat up. He was still asleep, just tuning over on to his side. She leaned over on her stomach and stared at the sleeping form of the now familiar face of Kurama. _I wonder if he would notice…_she thought as she leaned further, her lips just about to touch his, when suddenly his eyes opened. Thorne leaped back as if she had been burnt, and Kurama chuckled.

"Couldn't sleep for my good looks, eh, Thorne?" he said. Thorne laid back on her side, and turned her back to him.

"Presumptuous fool. Why should I keep myself awake wondering how someone so vain could have survived this long?" she scoffed and fell asleep.

*end flashback *

The sleeping form of the red head stirred slightly and Thorne jumped a little. The boy's eyes opened slightly, revealing them to be a startling beautiful green, and Thorne left quickly. As much as she hated to admit it, her reincarnation had taste. Shuichi was a cute boy, for a ningen, and though her reincarnation wouldn't admit it yet, she had a crush on the red head. She also knew that she would probably return the next night and the next to watch the boy's sleeping figure. Maybe her reincarnation would someday admit her feelings, and perhaps even be this boy's sweetheart. Thorne, having never truly found someone she loved, knew that her feelings would be unrequited (for who could love her, a thief?), but she could still dream and watch over the boy's sleeping figure to keep him safe as possible.

Meanwhile, Hiei jumped into the room and sat on the end of Kurama's bed. 

"You have just seen Thorne, Rose's previous incarnation." Kurama clarified, a small smile on his face. 


	11. Who is that? What does she want?

Chapter 12: She's here! Lexi's reincarnation

Solaris: Hi! Foxglove is out Christmas shopping at the moment. I just want to apologize for not uploading sooner. My mom had grounded me from the Internet at home, so I did my surfing at school. All the chapters since 5 or 6 have been typed, but I just couldn't load them. *Bows* I am very sorry. 

Foxglove: I'm back. 

Solaris: Sayonara!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sun set behind the skyline of Tokyo, casting what parts of the bright and beautiful city that weren't lamplit into deep and mysterious shadows. Rose pulled on her coat once outside and began to head to the kareoke place. It was now December and she no longer used the false identity that she had used her first night. She smiled as she saw Shuichi waiting at the street corner for her. He had taken to walking with her, and sometimes they'd go for a late dinner after she was done. She hoped they'd go to the small nearby pizza place with a DDR machine so she could play a bit. As they walked, they talked and the now-shadowed skyline of Tokyo was ignored.

On a tall, still-under-construction parking garage, a tall, lean figure stood. It was a young woman, about Rose's age, but something wasn't right. Her dark silhouette showed that she had a dog's floppy ears and a dog's fluffy tail. Her arms were crossed and on closer inspection, her face would have been proved to have a scowl. Her eyes stayed focused on Rose's back, and if looks could kill, Rose would have been bleeding to death on the street. Then her eyes lit up in a laugh. "So, Thorne, you got reincarnated as a teenaged girl? Lucky you. But I got reincarnated too, and only a few months after you. And unlike you, I've awoken my full power. So prepare yourself. I'm back, Thorne, and this time, when I kill you, you'll stay dead." the girl smiled evilly. "For as sure as my name's Lexi, I will kill you!"

"Ikite yuku eien ni." Rose's voice rang out beautifully, the last words to "Fukai Mori". She stepped off stage and got practically assaulted by several teenaged boys.

"What a voice!"

"She's coming with me red!"

"SHUICHI!" Rose screamed as she saw him get knocked back. "LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU PUNKS!" The boys backed off and she ran to him. Then they clambered around her again. She looked around for an exit.

"Over here." came the voice of a girl. A brunette girl about Rose's age with deep gray eyes motioned to them and they followed her to an exit. "Here. They won't be able to get you now." she smiled.

"Thanks." Rose said.

"None needed. If you need help again, just look for me. My name's Yuni." she said. Rose and Shuichi left there gladly.

"Shuichi, I don't want dinner now. I just want to go home." Rose sighed.

"I understand. Quite frankly, neither do I. Home is probably the best place to be, anyhow." he smiled. _Shuichi always understands,_ she thought happily as she walked into her home. 

Unbeknownst to the two, Lexi had followed them home. But not in her demon form.

"Found you." issued from Yuni's lips, which were curled into a devious smile that didn't suit her face. "Now I wait, and bide my time until it's right…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: Yuni is Lexi? Lexi got reincarnated? How did that happen? I wasn't going to put her in the story! *Leaves in frustration *

Foxglove: *Grins evilly and pulls out a mini tape recorder and presses play * Put Lexi in the story. Make her the greatest danger Rose will have to face. Make her reincarnation a teenaged girl like Rose. Give Foxglove a better part in The Tokyo Show. *Stops the player and puts it away. * Messages sunk into her subconscious, all. I did that while she slept.

Kurama: *Steals the tape recorder and puts it away. * Not anymore you don't. Let Solaris develop Lexi's character as she sees fit.

Foxglove: Aw, man, Kurama, did you have to do that?!


	12. Discovery! Rose is attacked and Kurama e...

Chapter 12: Lexi's back! Part II

Foxglove: Solaris is busy cooking and wrapping presents, Kurama's busy erasing my tape, so let me just say this: None of us own YYH. We only own Rose, Thorne, Yuni, Lexi, and the kareoke place. For good measure, we do not own any other famous song/place/item that may be mentioned in this story either.

Solaris: FOXGLOVE! RETURN THAT WRAPPING PAPER YOU ABSCONDED WITH BEFORE I SAY SOMETHING I'LL REGRET!

Foxglove: That said, enjoy the fan fic! ALL RIGHT, SOLARIS, TAKE A CHILL PILL!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We Three Kings of Orient are…" sang out Rose as she changed her cell phone ring tone to "Jingle Bells". (A/N: My cell phone has that, and Orient too. I have it set for Orient now.) "Much better." she smiled. School was out for Christmas break, and she was feeling better. Her dreams had lightened up, and she wasn't so freaked out when she dreamed it. Just as soon as she had set the phone down, it rang. She picked it up and answered. "Moshi Moshi?"

"Rose, it's Shuichi. Have you got a while?" came the voice of her favorite person (and really the only person she knew well.) 

"Sure, why?" she asked, smiling happily.

"Well, you said before school let out you needed to go shopping, and I just wondered if you still needed to." he said. Rose stopped smiling and a gasp escaped her lips. 

"Oh, NO! I thought I had forgotten to do something! Yeah, that'd be great! Thanks!" she said, turning off her computer and grabbing her coat as she spoke.

"I'll be there in about five minutes. Sayonara." he said. She hung up, threw on a pair of shoes and her coat , then spent about 3 minutes trying to find her scarf. Just as he walked up the sidewalk, she found it. 

"Bye mom! I'll be back in a while, later!" she yelled as she ran down the stairs and through the door. She almost ran into him.

"Whoa, there, speedy. I have no desire to die." Shuichi laughed. The smile returned to her face and she laughed. His appearance had brightened her mood again and she was feeling much better. The store was crowded, not surprising since it was two days to Christmas, and Rose stuck close to Shuichi, holding his arm so she wouldn't get lost in the crowded store. All the stuff was finally bought and they emerged from the store to see the cloudy gray afternoon, which, as odd as it seemed, looked like perfect Christmas time weather to Rose. (A/N: Trust me, that's how most winter days look where I live.) Smiling and clutching the bags in one hand, Rose looked around, then walked over to a nearby café. Kurama, wondering what was going on, followed. It turned out that she was getting something to eat, and by the time they left, it was dark. She walked a bit behind him and looked around. Suddenly, something grabbed her by the mouth and pulled her into an alleyway. Rose bit the hand of her attacker and screamed "SHUICHI!"

"Rose!" he gasped, and followed her voice, which was now screaming like a banshee. Once he ran into the alley, he saw a familiar dog-like girl advancing on Rose. Rose had dropped the bag and was backing into a corner. Kurama blinked, then became Youko. "Lexi! Not nice to see you again. Now leave that girl alone." he said almost evilly.

"Why should I? After all, she killed my love. I want revenge!" Lexi cried. 

"Where's Shuichi?" Rose said nervously. Then she fainted. Youko picked her up, and ran off.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, YOUKO! I'LL TRACK HER DOWN AND WHEN I DO, I WILL KILL HER!" Lexi yelled in frustration.

"Ugh…" Rose moaned when she woke up. She felt like she had a hangover, only she hadn't been drinking. She barely opened one eye, and saw Shuichi's beautiful red hair and gorgeous green eyes above her. _Funny how I never noticed how green his eyes really are. Or how wonderful…_she thought. "Shuichi, where am I? What happened, and where were you?" she said as she lifted her head. He put a hand behind it and let her lean back.

"You're at Gen-Kai's temple. This is going to take a lot of explaining, but I was there." he told her.

"Okay, one, I have no idea where I am, and two, how could you have been there? I didn't see you. All I saw was some crazy girl with dog ears and a tail and some silver haired dude with a fox's tail and ears." she said.

"All right. I was going to wait until the others were here to explain better, but I guess I'm going to have to. The fox guy was me. I am only Shuichi to the people who don't truly know me well." Kurama explained.

"What're you talking about, Shuichi? I know you better than my own mom. What's going on?" Rose questioned.

"Okay, Rose, please, keep a open mind. I am not a true human. I am the fox person. And my true name is Kurama. Youko Kurama." he said, sighing sort of.

"You aren't really human?" she gasped.

"And neither are you. You are truly Rose Thorne, a fox spirit thief, like me." he told her.

"I'm a fox spirit?" she gasped.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: OOH! A cliffie! You'll like this! 

Kurama: *to Foxglove * Say, you are letting her develop Lexi's character on her own, right?

Foxglove: *to Kurama * You sat there and erased my tape, of course I am!

Solaris: Oh, and please ignore my chapter misnumbering. I'm usually in a hurry. 


	13. Kurama finishes explaining

Chapter 13: The Fox's truth

Solaris: Late merry Christmas! Here's more of the insanity that is my story.

Kurama: Neither Solaris nor Foxglove owns YYH. Speaking of her, where is she? 

Foxglove: *muffled sounds issue from nearby closet * SOLARIS! LET ME OUT OF HERE NOW! I'M WARNING YOU…

Kurama: So that's where she is. Solaris, explain yourself.

Solaris: Eh-heh-heh-heh-heh… On with the fic!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Okay, explain this to me again. How the HECK am I a fox spirit? And you, Shuichi, how?" Rose questioned.

"Rose, you can call me Kurama, not Shuichi. Now you know, so you don't have to call me by my human name." Kurama said.

"Fine, then, _Kurama,_ how did this happen?" Rose asked. Everyone sighed. They had arrived just as Kurama had begun to explain.

"You are the reincarnation of Thorne, a kitsune thief. She was killed by her partner, Lexi, who is obviously Yuni's former incarnation. There's the easiest explanation I can give." Kurama explained patiently. 

"Prove it." Rose said simply.

"How can you resist killing that stubborn woman, Kurama?" Hiei said. 

"Must take a lot of patience." Yusuke nodded. 

"Remember that time I found you in the forest? How you explained that you'd woken up there that morning?" Kurama said patiently. Rose nodded. She knew what a pain she was being, but she couldn't believe all this. She knew she'd been strange as a child, but she had never attributed it to this. "I had seen you by the river the previous night in your fox form. Youko came to talk to you, and you sort of snapped at him."

"Oh. I wondered why I was in the forest." Rose said sheepishly. "But it doesn't prove it!"

"Then how about this? You came by my house that same evening and for many afterwards. The only nights you didn't come were nights you were out of town or singing kareoke. You thought I didn't notice, but I did. And I have a witness. A certain Jaganshi who pretty much lives in my tree." Kurama stated. Rose looked over at Hiei, in open-mouthed shock. Hiei shrugged.

"Hn." (A/n: Translation: "So what? I have to be somewhere. Why not the tree?") Rose blinked, then laughed. Suddenly, her laugh turned into a gasp. 

"I was watching you at night without even knowing? Oh my Lord, what have I done? What the HECK have I done? What the HECK was I THINKING!?" Rose cried, then ran to hit her head on a beam. Botan ran to stop her, but Kurama was quicker. He pulled her back by the shoulders and sat her down. Hiei walked up to her and turned his death glare onto her. She began to tremble. (A/n: When Hiei turns his death glare on, not even the toughest demon alive doesn't shake.) 

"You were thinking he looked like Youko when he was asleep. And since he _is_ Youko, you were partially right." Hiei said.

"Oh, God, I'm so gonna get BUSTED for STALKING!" Rose cried, then went to bash her head on the post again. (A/n: Aren't you getting tired of these? And I'd have put something in there that made her sound freaked out, but I've got to keep this G or PG at the most.) Kurama caught her again.

"Now hold on a minute. When did I say I was going to take you to the police? Answer: Never. So you're safe. See, this ought to turn out all right. Now, I just have to take you to see Koenma…" Kurama began.

"Uh, who? Never heard of the guy. Is he like some gang leader, 'cause if he is, you know, I have no desire to get wrapped up in a gang. Gangs and me are like oil and water. NO chance of us mixing in this lifetime." Rose declared.

"No, Koenma is the ruler of the Spirit World, and our boss. He's… well, you'll see when you get there." Yusuke said. Kuwabara had remained silent this whole time, and he finally spoke up. 

"He won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about." he said offhandedly. 

"Well, if you're sure I ain't going to die. I'm ready to go whenever." Rose sighed. Kurama smiled reassuringly at her, and nodded to Botan, who readied a portal. There was no way in Reikai, Makai, or Ningenkai that all 6 of them would fit on the oar. And it just made life easier.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Solaris: Whew! The first chapter since Rose met Kurama that I can actually use his more familiar name instead of the human name. Thank God.

Foxglove: SOLARIS! WHEN I CATCH YOU…

Solaris: Hey, you're out of the closet. If you hadn't dissed Inuyasha, you wouldn't have been in this mess.

Kurama: I thought you said she was in there looking for a coat and she accidentally got locked in there.

Solaris: Uh-oh. Bye for now, readers! 


	14. Koenma begins his explaination

Chapter 14: Out of the portal and into the Spirit Realm

Solaris: Happy New Year! I'd give out champagne, but I'm broke and a minor, so I'll just give out these party poppers instead! *Gives out poppers to all reviewers *

Foxglove: Those wouldn't happen to be MY party poppers, would they? *Taps a foot *

Solaris: ^.^;;; Eh-heh-heh-heh… 

Kurama: Okay, disclaimer time! Solaris and Foxglove do not own any famous thing that may appear in this fanfiction. And they don't own YYH. Now Foxglove, let go of Solaris' throat… 

***************************************

"Okay, this hallway gives me the creeps…" Rose shuddered.

"At least you're going through this still living. I was dead…" Yusuke stated. 

"Hn." from the one-and-only fire youkai, Hiei. (Translation: Would you two shut up? I'm getting a migraine.) Even though it was incomprehensible to them, they shut up right away. Pretty soon, they had arrived at the room before Koenma's office. As they were about to enter the room, an ogre almost ran over Rose, who jumped out of the way just in time.

"Rude much! Say 'excuse me' next time!" Rose yelled.

"Bossy little girl, isn't she?" Kuwabara muttered to Yusuke, who nodded his agreement. Moments later, each boy had a lump on his head due to a well-placed hit from Botan's oar. She had overheard it. The door opened and all of them walked in. The door shut behind them. Rose looked around silently. Then she rolled her eyes.

"This guy in a meeting or something? Or doesn't he have the courtesy to show up when someone gets shocked witless?" she said loudly. Her bravado wouldn't get her anywhere if her pride kept up its pace. Suddenly a small cough was heard.

"Actually, I was here the whole time. And you seem to have kept a strong hold on your wits, as far as I can see." said a voice. Rose looked down to see a toddler, who promptly turned his back and climbed into the huge red chair. She blinked a few times, stared, then turned to Kurama.

"_This_ is your boss? This is Koenma?" she asked. The Reikai Tantei nodded and backed off a bit; they knew what was coming and it wasn't going to be pretty. She looked back to Koenma, then at the Reikai Tantei, then back at Koenma, and finally burst out laughing so hard she started to cry. As she did, she strolled over to the desk, where Koenma now stood. Pointing, she laughed, "No, seriously, where is your boss? This guy is too young!"

"No, seriously, this _is_ our boss." Kurama nodded. Rose stopped laughing for a second, then laughed again.

"Why would the Spirit Realm be run by a little _toddler_?" she laughed. Koenma fumed, then jumped up and popped her on top of the head.

"Because I am 700 years old, missy! Not some 3 or 4-year-old! Now have some respect!" he said angrily as she backed off. Yusuke nodded understandingly.

"Don't worry, I said the same thing when I saw him. So did Kuwabara." he said. She turned to Botan.

"Okay, Botan, right? Hit me with that oar, would you please? This is just some freaky dream and I want to wake up now." Rose said.

"I can assure you it's no dream. I am real." Koenma said as he sat back down. Rose pinched herself, then snapped.

"It's all real. Someone catch me, I think I'm going to faint." she said, then passed out. Kurama caught her.

"This is going to take a while." Hiei sighed. The others nodded their assent.

********************

Solaris: That could have gone better.

Kurama: Yes, it could have.

Foxglove: Well, next time, on A Fox Thief in Tokyo?:

Narrator dude: Rose wakes up and finally acknowledges that she isn't dreaming, and she is reincarnated. Koenma reveals the reason Lexi is trying to kill her, and they decide on a way to keep her safe. But what if that way doesn't work? What if Lexi attacks again? Will Rose have recalled enough to use one of her old spiritual attacks? And if she hasn't? Next time on A Fox Thief in Tokyo?

Foxglove and Solaris: GAH! GET OUT OF HERE, NARRATOR DUDE!

Narrator dude: Fine. (T-T) Such is a narrator's lot in life.

Solaris: *Boots the narrator dude out of the door * If we need you we'll call! 


	15. Koenma's plan

Chapter 15: The truth and nothing but the truth: part I

Solaris: Hey, Foxglove. Let's call the narrator dude at the end of this chappie, what d'ya think? 

Foxglove: I say we call him right now to do the disclaimer. What do you think about it, Kurama?

Kurama: I'm all for it.

Solaris and Foxglove: HEY, NARRATOR DUDE! COME ON AND DO THE DISCLAIMER!

Narrator dude: *Walks in and smiles* This time on A Fox Thief in Tokyo?:

Rose acknowledges that she is a reincarnation and accepts that she needs protection from Yuni/Lexi. But what if she can't escape her pursuer? Will she remember enough of her former life to use a spiritual attack? And if she can't, how will she escape? 

Solaris: *rolls eyes* We said _disclaimer_, not _foreword_. 

Narrator dude: Sorry. Neither Solaris nor Foxglove own anything famous in this story, least of all Yu Yu Hakusho. Do not sue them, since they lack money.

Foxglove: *shoves the narrator dude out of the room* Okay, thanks for coming, appreciate it, bye-bye!

Solaris: Translating the jargon of the narrator dude, unless you understand it:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Us no own,

So you no sue.

Foxglove: Although technically, violets aren't blue. They're purple.

Solaris: Let's not get into this now, Foxglove…

*********************

As soon as Rose woke up, Koenma launched straight into an explanation of her former life and her reincarnation. All the while Rose was shaking her head. At the end of this, she held up a hand and shook her head, as if it was all too much (which in her opinion, it was.)

"So let me get this straight: What Kurama told me was true, and I was killed by the demented dog-girl, who was my former partner, and now she's hunting me down again. All right, Botan, please, I beg of you, hit me with that oar." Rose pleaded. 

"You're not dead, it might cause brain damage, no." Botan said firmly. Rose sighed.

"Okay, I guess I have to live with the fact that I'm not dreaming. And that some crazy woman is after my head. So, kid, what do you propose we do?" she sighed as she leaned on Koenma's desk, earning another pop on the head. 

"I AM NOT A KID!" he shouted. Rose backed off and hid behind Kurama. "And since you and Kurama seem so close…" he began.

"No joke!" yelled Yusuke. Botan bopped him over the head with her oar.

"I don't think his brain can be damaged any more." she explained as she saw the shocked look on Rose's face.

"Anyhow, as I was saying, I think Kurama should watch over you. Just be careful, okay?" Koenma said. Kurama nodded and started to say something. "No, I know you didn't tell her, and I know you had no choice but to go Youko to protect her. Now go." Kurama nodded. 

As they left, Rose asked Kurama, "You do know you can't follow me _everywhere_, right?" He nodded. "Good, just so long as we're straight on that."

~~~

A few weeks later, Kurama stopped by Rose's house. It was January and it was exactly six months since she had moved to Tokyo. The car was gone and from that, Kurama thought that Rose had gone out of town. But when he looked closer, he saw a familiar face at Rose's window: Rose. 

"Hello there!" he shouted, which caught her attention. A smile brightened her face.

"Shuichi-San! I'll be right down!" she yelled back. True to her word, she was and opened the door, smiling as she let Kurama in the house. "Mom and Dad went out of town for the week yesterday night. So I get the house to myself." she laughed. "It's peaceful at least. Oh, sorry to chew your ear off like that. I was just making dinner. Would you like any?" she asked. 

"Yes, please. If it isn't any trouble." he said. She laughed a little as she set the table and walked into the kitchen.

"Trust me, ramen is no problem. It's all I'll be eating all week. The only dilemma is whether to eat chicken or shrimp." she giggled. Kurama smiled at her joke, then realized she was serious. He still laughed as he got the glasses out. 

__

Poor girl. I'll have to take her out to dinner sometime this week. he thought. So they enjoyed a peaceful dinner, a first for them.

~~~

The next day, Kurama stopped by the house again, this time to take Rose out to dinner. He had called about an hour before, so she had time to get ready. He rang the doorbell, and heard something running down the stairs. "Just a minute!" her voice called. She got the door seconds later. A silver and crystal rose earring adorned her left ear and she was fastening a diamond in the second hole of her right, in addition to the silver and crystal rose. Her dress was a simple black one, sleeveless and knee-length, with a square cut neck. (A/n: I asked my mom about that last one, and she said she guessed that was what the cut was called.) Kurama managed to keep his mouth shut, but was amazed at how pretty she was. He could tell she wasn't wearing any makeup, which was a pleasant surprise. She normally wore blue jeans and tee shirts or her navy blue school uniform and a brown leather jacket if it was cold. So it was a wonderful surprise to see her dressed up like that. He noticed a pair of high heels in the tiny alcove and realized that was what she was wearing. 

"Uh, couldn't you stop staring? I'm nervous enough already. I'm almost ready, come in and sit for a minute if you want." she offered. He smiled and nodded. She walked back upstairs and came down a few minutes later, smiling. Kurama noticed that she was wearing the smallest amount of the lightest of pink lipsticks, and it was beautiful on her. So she pulled on her jacket and shoes and they left. The dinner was nice and the atmosphere of the restaurant was great. "It's a welcome change from ramen." she laughed on the way out. She had insisted on paying half of the bill. On the way home, they talked, laughed, and pretty much had fun. She didn't want to go in and leave, but she had to. Suddenly, she shivered.

"What's wrong?" Kurama asked as she gripped her arms and dropped to her knees on her doorstep. He sat by her and put one arm over her shoulder. She hardly noticed it, but he noticed the look of abject terror in her eyes.

"I just got a bad feeling. Like Lexi's going to come for me tonight. It's like a wave of cold water rushing over you, then sticking your finger in an electrical socket. Shock after shock." Rose said, still shivering. The look in those pools of brown that were her eyes was reminiscent of Yusuke's when he heard about the Dark Tournament. It was pure, raw fear. She turned to Kurama and looked in his eyes, still fearful. "Please, stay here. I know it's silly, but I have this feeling." she pleaded. He took her hand and nodded.

"Sometimes feelings are correct. I'll stay." he said. She smiled and got to her feet and they went in the house. (A/n: G rating, PG at the most, y'all! Keep the minds out of the gutter!) She showed him to the guestroom and he called his mother to tell her he was staying the night at "a friend's house". 

That night, a scream awoke him. He rushed to Rose's room to see Lexi dragging the white nightshirt-clad girl out the window. He called the rest of the Reikai Tantei, who promised to come ASAP. 

Meanwhile, Rose was struggling against Lexi, who had dragged her to a park. "Let me go, you demented freak!" she yelled. Lexi clicked her tongue and slapped Rose across the face.

"Manners; besides, you'd never call your old partner that! But it won't matter when you die!" she said as she came at the girl again. Rose panicked and put up her hands, from which petals of roses shot and cut Lexi on the face. The dog girl put a hand up to her face and pulled it away bleeding. "Very nice. Like Kurama's Petals and Thorns. In fact, exactly alike. As I remember, a trick you picked up from Youko." she laughed. Then her ears perked up and she ran away, leaving a tiny bit of her blood on Rose's hand and face. It had dripped on her when Lexi had stood over her and had slung onto her when she turned away rapidly. Pretty soon, Kurama and the others came into the clearing. Rose's bottom lip trembled as she looked like she was about to cry. Kurama walked over to her and sat in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She did begin to cry at that and flung her arms around his neck. He looked shocked at first, then just patted her back. As soon as she stopped crying, he took her home, and stayed awake the rest of the night to watch her. It took a lot of coffee the next morning to keep him awake, but he managed it.

**********************

Solaris: Wow! That's the longest chappie yet! Oh Mr. Narrator Dude!

Narrator dude: Yes it is! Next time on A Fox Thief in Tokyo?:

Rose's parents are back, and they have no clue what happened to their daughter. Assuming everything is normal, they try to take her out to a family dinner one night, and refuse to allow Kurama to come along. When she refuses, will they ground her? (Solaris: Probably not!) And what's going on between Kurama and Rose? Find out next time! *leaves *

Solaris: Tch. You'd have to be blind not to notice. Anywho, see y'all next time!


	16. Rose's parents return!

Chapter 16: They're back: Rose's parents return

Solaris: Okay, this chappie is going to be a good one, so I'll just do the disclaimer and get on with it…

Narrator dude: HOLD IT! I DEMAND MORE BENEFITS!

Foxglove: You don't have to hear my complaining 24/7, like Solaris does. Isn't that good enough?

Narrator dude: NO IT ISN'T! I WANT VACATION TIME! IF I DON'T GET IT, I'LL QUIT!

Solaris: Tch. Wouldn't be too much of a loss if you did.

Foxglove: That wasn't nice, but I have to admit, it was the truth. Narrator dude, just SHUT UP and DO THE DISCLAIMER!

Narrator dude: All right, don't be so pushy. Solaris and Foxglove don't own anything famous in this story, least of all YYH. There, happy now? 

Solaris: Yes. Now, let's have a talk about these so-called "benefits"…

********************************

"Rose, come on, it's been forever since we had a family dinner…" Rose's dad sighed. Rose's mom noticed something was up. Her brash, brave daughter was acting as though something outside was going to get her. She had never acted like this before. It was strange.

"No! I don't want to go anywhere. I had a really stressful week, I'd just rather not go anywhere." Rose protested.

"You sat around, watched TV, read mangas, and ate ramen all week, how is that stressful?" her dad sighed.

"You'd never believe me if I told you…" Rose said. Her dad gave her a look that said 'you're right, I wouldn't, so stop arguing and just get ready.' Rose looked at her mom, but got no sympathy or help. "Fine. If I can't get out of this, can I at least have a friend along?"

"Sorry, Rose, but no. Family dinner, family only." her mom said. She knew how it was to be a teenager and be forced on a family dinner. The same thing had happened to her on many occasions. 

"Then I won't go. No friend, no go." Rose said as she turned away. Rose's mom sighed; when Rose got into one of these moods, there was no changing her mind. Rose's dad looked ready to yell, so her mom stepped in to soothe the tension.

"Dear, I think Rose is right. She looks like she had a tough week. You have to remember she hasn't ever stayed by herself for a week before. Let's just let her rest. We can go out to dinner, she can stay home. It's not like we don't have a week before we have to go out of town again." she said. He caved and so Rose got her way. Just before they left, the doorbell rang. Rose's mom answered it, and smiled as she saw Shuichi. "Hello. Rose is in the den. You might want to steer clear of family topics today. She's in one of her dark moods." she said apologetically. He nodded and soon after, Rose's parents left.

"Dark moods?" he asked.

"Mom calls it that when I feel stubborn and don't want to do anything. I just don't want to leave the house until school starts back." Rose sighed as she sank into her favorite chair. 

"I can understand that. After the incident with Lexi, I don't think anyone would want to leave their house again for as long as possible." he nodded. So, while they waited for her parents to return, they talked about everything but Lexi.

~~~

Meanwhile, at Kuwabara's house, the other three members of the Reikai Tantei were talking, when Hiei finally spoke up. "The fox isn't here."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Wonder where he is…" Kuwabara said. 

"I have a pretty good idea. It's talking to a red-haired, brown-eyed girl, whose name is Rose. That's where he's been every night this week." Yusuke said. Shizuru came in the room, Botan following. 

"Maybe he likes her. Did you think of that?" Shizuru said. 

"But that's a weird way of showing it." Yusuke said.

"Just because he doesn't have a spirit egg he can throw in a fire to save her doesn't mean he doesn't like her." Botan giggled. The truth was, she thought it was a perfect match. 

"Well, just 'cause he likes her doesn't mean he can skip off meeting us here." Kuwabara complained.

"Maybe somethings are more important than hearing you whine, little brother." Shizuru said as she sat down. (A/n: Sorry for my Kuwabara bashing!) 

"Hn." was Hiei's reply. (Translation: She's right.) 

"Okay, I didn't understand what you just said, but I think it was an agreement with Shizuru." Yusuke said. Hiei nodded. "Someone's going to have to tell her that she's expected to train with Genkai soon. May as well be him." he sighed.

***********************************

Solaris: All right. The narrator dude is on vacation, so it's up to us to do the afterword.

Foxglove: HE'S GONE! YAY!


	17. Rose gets sick

Chapter 17: Gone again…

Solaris: Foxglove, I believe our narrator dude has left us.

Foxglove: Not like it's a big loss…

Solaris: Foxglove! 

Foxglove: Well it isn't!

Solaris: I guess you're right. None of us own YYH, read on, please! 

Foxglove: And please read The Black Ancient: Revised by hedgepod!

*****************************

Once again, Rose's parents were gone. (A/n: They have jobs that require them to be gone much of the time, okay?) School had started again and it was becoming easier for Rose to wake up in the mornings on her own. Of course, having Kurama call her house in the mornings didn't hurt either. 

On this day, however, something was different. Kurama noticed it right as she said hello. "You're sick, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, a little. But not bad enough that I can't go to school! It's just a tiny cold! Nothing to worry about!" she said. 

"No, it obviously isn't. You're staying home today. I'll send Hiei over to watch you, okay? Sayonara." Kurama said. He heard her sigh, which sounded like a rush of static over the phone.

"Okay. Sayonara." she replied. He hung up and leaned from his window to see Hiei trying to sneak away. 

"And where do you think you're going? I told her that I'd send you." Kurama said, tapping his foot. 

"I am no babysitter! Send Yusuke, he skips school enough!" Hiei said.

"No can do. Keiko's making him go today," he said. (A/n: I've seen it spelled "Kayko" and I've seen it spelled "Keiko". I'm just going to use the manga spelling and leave it at that.) Hiei was visibly ticked off.

"Then send the baka! I'm sure even he's not too dumb to watch over her!" Hiei protested. Kurama sighed.

"You would really send Kuwabara to watch her?" Kurama said.

"In normal circumstances, no, but now I would." Hiei said stubbornly.

"Face it, Hiei, you're the only one of us who doesn't have somewhere to be today. It's got to be you. And it's not like she's a three-year old. She's 15, capable of taking care of herself." Kurama sighed and pleaded.

"Then why can't she today?" 

"Because she's sick and Lexi's after her. We don't know who Lexi got reincarnated as, so we don't know if she'd have somewhere to be at today." Kurama said. "Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll come to her house after school and you can leave. Is that better?"

"I guess." Hiei said before leaving. Kurama silently prayed for them. 

Hiei got there quickly and noticed that there was an open window. He jumped in to see Rose shooting suction-cup-tipped darts at the ceiling. "I don't need a babysitter. It's just a cold." she was grumbling.

"Well, obviously he thinks you do." Hiei spoke up. She looked over, said "hn", and went back to shooting darts. He couldn't help but smile. The girl was precocious and had an attitude. _Sort of like me. If I were a girl…_Hiei thought. Around noon, the girl pulled herself from her bed. "Hey, girl, what do you think you're doing?" he said quietly, yet loud enough to get her attention.

"It's Rose, not 'girl', and I'm going to get some lunch and my Trigun book." she said.

"Lie back down. I'll get it. But all I can get you is ramen." Hiei said. (A/n: It's a reference to another fanfic of mine about when Hiei gets a cold. I'll post it soon.) "That's all the fox would let me have when I was sick." 

"The fox? Oh, Kurama. Okay. It's in the bottom cabinet. And the book is on the table." she said. Hiei quickly got the book and fixed the ramen. "Thanks." she said quietly. 

That afternoon, Kurama came in the house to see Rose sitting quietly, not sulking or anything and Hiei in the window, reading a Trigun book, which really shocked Kurama. He was relieved, though. Neither of them was hurt, thankfully. Hiei put the book down and left quickly. "Quiet fellow, isn't he?" she asked softly. Kurama laughed and nodded.

"A person of few words, I suppose. I brought your homework," he said. She took it and got started, asking for his help on parts she didn't understand. By the next day, she was well enough to go to school.

***************************

Solaris: This was a fun chappie for me to write, so don't knock it. And the narrator dude is back. Hey, Foxglove, where'd he go?

Foxglove: *Hides rope and duck tape behind her back and grins. * I dunno.

*Muffled thuds are heard from the closet *

Solaris: You TIED him UP?!

Foxglove: He was getting on my nerves!


	18. Lexi's reincarnation

Chapter 18: Lexi's return and the fight ensues! 

Solaris: I've finally taken a break from schoolwork and working on my comics long enough to write this chapter.

Foxglove: More comic work than schoolwork.

Solaris: SHUT UP, FOXGLOVE! Also, in looking over my Tokyo Show story, I discovered a problem: I never told which foxgirl is which. To clear it up now, I'm the auburn haired one, and the red head is Foxglove. Now that's cleared up, Foxglove, you can do the disclaimer. 

Foxglove: Okay, Neither of us own YYH, because if I owned it, I'd put myself in it and be Hiei's girlfriend! MWA-HA-HA-HA! 

Solaris: Okay, rabid one, time to stop. Hey, Kurama, can you help me out here?

*************************************

Rose sat in the classroom, listening to the lunchtime hum of talk. It was incredibly cold for February, and no one really wanted to sit outside. Her box of Takoyaki and rice sat on the desk and she was absentmindedly toying with the chopsticks, twirling them between her fingers. Suddenly, her cell phone rang quietly, the tone signaling a text message. She pulled it out of her backpack and looked over the screen. The message made her shiver, but she put the cover on her lunch and took it outside. As she walked, she looked over the message again. 

__

Its Kurama, come on outside. I need to talk to you.

She shivered again with the thought of how cold it was, but went outside. "Yeah?" she asked once she saw Kurama. 

"We got Koenma to tell us who Lexi got reincarnated as. It's not good, I can tell you. Even Hiei didn't like it." Kurama said a bit sadly.

"Well, who? Don't keep me in suspense!" she said nervously.

"Remember Yuni? The girl that helped us at the kareoke place?" he said.

"Her? She's Lexi? Oh God no…" Rose shuddered. "I know she goes to school here. I saw her in the hall the other day."

"That's right. Meet me in the park tonight. We'll settle this little thing once and for all, my former partner." a chilling voice said from behind Rose. She turned to see Yuni walking away. 

"Don't worry, Rose. I'll get the others and we'll go with you." Kurama reassured her.

~~~

Lexi waited in the park, ready to strike. She couldn't stand the thought of Thorne, but she forced herself to recall everything she'd ever done. When she looked back on it, her redheaded former partner was a lot like Youko in terms of attitude. It was scary to notice, but she shook it off and continued to wait. A rustle in the undergrowth caught her attention and she turned to look. "Just a rabbit." she sighed.

"How sweet. You waited for me." she heard from behind her. She turned to see Thorne. "Now explain to me why you're so bound and determined to have me dead for good before I kill you." Thorne replied.

"YOU KILLED KURONOE, THAT'S WHY! You killed the only person I ever trusted enough to fall in love with, then lied about it! And you still persist in the lie! So do me a favor and just DIE, WOULD YOU?" Lexi yelled as she rushed at Thorne.

"No can do. I have to tell you, though, if I had connections to assassins, I would have killed him and perhaps even Youko." Thorne said as she dodged Lexi's wild, rage induced attack.

"You wouldn't have. You liked Youko, hated Kuronoe. You couldn't stand to see me happy. Just because you had depression problems didn't mean I should be all doom, destruction, apocalypse is coming! I'm not you!" she shouted as she tried her attack again. Thorne dodged, gaining only a small cut on her arm. 

"Nice line, I think I'll suggest it to my reincarnation. She's been trying to write a new song." Thorne said as she finally attacked, hitting Lexi full on the chest. The force of the blow knocked Lexi back, hitting her into a tree. "And for your info, I did not like Youko! Who could like a self-absorbed jerk like him?"

"You did!" Lexi shot back. 

"Uh, ladies, could one of you kill the other so I can get on with my life?" both heard. They looked to see Hiei. Thorne snarled.

"Gladly." she said, using the true and correct form of petals and thorns. (A/n: I messed up on that chapter. She was supposed to pull a rose from her hair and let the petals shoot off that, but I forgot. Oh well.) They served as a wonderful distraction while she summoned a plant whose spores were poison. "Cover your nose and mouth, Hiei!" she warned just loud enough that he could hear. He did, and Lexi received the majority of the spores. She fell. (A/n: I can't write a decent fight scene to save my life. At least that's my opinion of any fight scene I write. I try to get it over with ASAP.) Thorne waited until the spores were gone then crouched by her former partner.

"Thorne, I'm sorry, but I go to the grave still believing that you killed Kuronoe. I have no reason to believe otherwise." she gasped.

"I know. But believe me when I say that I didn't kill him or have him killed. His being near us may not have helped, but I didn't kill him. I'm sorry, Lexi." Thorne wept. Lexi reached up and wiped away a tear.

"You're so weak. I could kill you right now. If I weren't so tired." Lexi laughed. Her breathing was becoming more labored. It wasn't going to be long before she died. "You're lucky that no one's going to look into Yuni's death. She had a weak heart. It'll be seen as too much strain what caused her death," she said as she reverted to her human form. She drew a shaky last breath and murmured "goodbye…"

"No, Lexi, I'm sorry." Thorne sobbed. Just then Youko showed up.

"Sorry I'm late. Couldn't get out of the house until after dinner. So what'd I miss?" he grinned jauntily. Hiei pointed at the crying Thorne and Youko's grin vanished. He went to her and tried to comfort her. "I'm so sorry…" he said. She looked at him tearfully, then allowed him to put his arms around her so she could cry on his shoulder. "It'll be all right." Hiei left them. He didn't think there was anything he could do to help.

*************************************

Solaris: *all out sobbing* I hated that! 

Kurama: It was the turning point to the story. You had to kill her off. Besides, she was evil.

Foxglove: *crying too * It'll be all right. The reader's will understand.

Solaris: But the next chappie will have to be the funeral, and I hate funerals! 

Kurama: Set it after the funeral then. *notices that she's crying too hard to listen, and sighs * This is going to take a while. Please review!


	19. Tennis, anyone?

Chapter 19: Tennis, anyone?

Solaris: Okay, I've stopped sobbing my eyes out and I've decided to do a more fun chapter than the last one. Foxglove, could you do the disclaimer?

Foxglove: * Reading the newest Vampire Chronicle book, _Blood Canticle_, which we don't own either* Sure. We don't own YYH.

Solaris: That's it? 

Foxglove: Sure. What else is there?

Solaris: No funny remark, no snide comment, no declaration of how much you love Hiei?

Foxglove: *turns a page * Nope.

Solaris: Okay, now I know it was a mistake letting you read that book.

*****************************

Three weeks after Lexi/Yuni's death, and Rose still hadn't recovered. Kurama watched her go about her day, hardly ever looking up, and when she was called on to read, she read in an almost-perfect monotone. It was a week into March and getting warmer. He finally thought of a way to try and cheer her up.

******

Youko, too, noticed how deeply Thorne's partner's death had effected her, but not through day-to-day contact. He had noticed it the very night that Lexi had died. She hadn't been the same confident girl she always was.

*_Flashback_*

Rose's sad look was the first thing that Youko had noticed, without Hiei's point to the red haired fox girl. His eyes then turned to the human girl, Yuni, and he understood her tears. Lexi had been, at times, a pain to Thorne, but she was still her former partner, and no matter what, she always had a place in her heart. He sat at her side and let her sob into his shoulder. Even through her slight sobs, he could hear the swish of Hiei's cloak as he left. She sat on the ground, her long emerald green dress in soft folds around her knees, sobbing her brown eyes out into Youko's white tunic. He smoothed her soft red hair, trying to comfort her by telling her "it'll be all right". She looked up, even beautiful with her red-rimmed eyes and tears coursing down her face.

"I just lost one of my best friends. How will it be all right? Tell me. You've suffered through this before." she said, drawing in racking breaths.

"Yes, I know. Just live each day through, that's all you can do. Pretty soon, you'll be all right. Trust me, I know what you feel." Youko said soothingly as she planted her face in his shoulder again. "It's going to be tough the first few weeks, but I know you're strong enough to live through it. You've lived through a lot worse." He could feel her hot tears on his shoulder and wished he could take the pain out of her loss. Instead, he simply sat there, holding her as she cried. Finally, she returned to her human form. He followed suit. Through Shuichi's eyes, he watched as she walked home, calming herself as she left.

*_end of flashback *_

As he looked at the six passes in Shuichi's hand, he smiled to himself. If this didn't cheer her up, nothing would. 

*******

"Rose?" Kurama said. She looked up a little sadly and shocked, in a sort.

"Oh, hello, Shuichi. What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, not much. Except I got six free all-day passes to the tennis court and I don't think they should go to waste. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Botan have already agreed to go, and I'm definitely going. So what do you say?" Kurama smiled. She laughed.

"So you're saying you want me to go play tennis with you all? Well, can't hurt to try it." she nodded. "Sunday, right?"

"Right." 

"See you then!" she smiled as she hurried off to class. It was her first smile in a few weeks, and it really lightened his heart.

***********

On Sunday, everyone showed up carrying tennis rackets. All of them had things drawn or burned on them, which was a real surprise to Rose. Kurama's had a tiny rose burned into the wood just above the grip. Yusuke's had a small symbol for "Rei Gun" on the side. Kuwabara's had a kitten drawn on one side, Hiei's had a black dragon burned up the handle, and Botan's had an oar burned into the side. Rose laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hiei said menacingly. She laughed and pulled her tennis racket from behind her back. It had a small fox holding a rose burned on the handle. 

"I thought I was the only person who did that!" she laughed. They went onto the tennis court and began to play. It was the most bizarre game ever seen. Besides the fact that there were three players on each team (Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan on one side and Kurama, Hiei and Rose on the other), the players were breaking rules that, had they have been playing varsity, would have gotten them disqualified forever. More than once, Kuwabara used his spirit sword to hit the ball back toward the other side of the court. Yusuke used his spirit gun once to push the ball back. Botan's oar came in handy several times to either hit the ball back or go into the air to hit it. Kurama stuck with the rules, as did Rose, but Rose's reason was that she couldn't manipulate her spirit energy well yet. Kurama just didn't feel like it. Hiei tried something so unorthodox that it almost stopped them from playing anymore.

"Tennis racket of the darkness…" Hiei began, about to use a darkness flame attack.

"NO HIEI!!!" everyone else yelled. 

As it got darker, everyone remembered that they had to go somewhere else. Rose, Kurama and Hiei were the only ones left after a time, and Hiei decided to quit after a while, due to the fact that it was turning into one of "the most dull things on Ningenkai". Rose and Kurama played until the court closed, then Kurama walked Rose home. She took one step into her house and asked him to come in. "Something doesn't seem right here." she said. He nodded and walked in the house. Even though Rose's parents weren't home, the lights were on. It freaked her out a bit, then she saw the group of people at her kitchen table. The rest of the Reikai Tantei was there.

"Where were you two? Since you weren't at the last meeting, we decided to have it here!" Yusuke laughed. 

"It concerns Rose anyhow!" Kuwabara said. So all of them sat down again and talked. By the time it was over and done with, it had been decided that Rose would undergo training at GenKai's during the weekends and vacations.


	20. Rose's problem

Chapter 20: If it ain't one thing, it's another...  
  
Solaris: We don't own YYH. Are you happy now?  
  
Foxglove: Whoa, someone's touchy today.  
  
Solaris: Can I help it? I'm tired. Now butt out and let me write this darn chapter. Rose got home about 6 at night from her latest training session with Genkai. Yusuke used to gripe that at least she got to go home, he'd had to stay there the entire time he trained. She pulled her tennis shoes off in the doorway and practically collapsed on the couch. Her parents were gone again on yet another business trip, so she had run of the house for another few weeks yet. Just as she was contemplating sleeping on the couch and staying there for the rest of the week, the phone rang. She reached behind her head, picked it up and answered.  
  
"'Lo? Whozzat?" she asked sleepily.  
  
"It's Hiei. Who is this?" came the voice of her favorite spiky-haired demon.  
  
"It's Rose, firstly, and secondly, I'm surprised that you even know how to use a phone." she said tiredly.  
  
"Gimme that, Hiei! Good grief, you got no manners!" Yusuke said as he claimed the phone. She laughed weakly.  
  
"And you don't have good language," she smiled as she heard Kuwabara steal the phone.  
  
"Let me explain. We need to get Kurama out of his house, and you're the only one we can think of who would even have a chance of convincing him. Will you?" he asked.  
  
"Look, under normal circumstances, if I knew the reason, I'd love to..." she began.  
  
"He stays holed up too much. Just get him, would you?" Yusuke asked as he hung up. She put the phone back and lifted her head skyward.  
  
"FOR GOODNESS SAKES I'M TIRED AND THEY ASK ME TO GET HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE!" she shouted.  
  
"Get whom out of the house, Rose?" she heard Kurama question. As she turned her head, she saw him smile from the door. "You forgot to lock it."  
  
"Sorry. I just got in about five minutes ago and the guys just called..." she explained.  
  
"They got my answering machine. I just bought it and programmed the message, which pretty much says that I'm busy. I guess they figured I wasn't leaving the house, and that induced their 'let's pull Kurama off on some madcap adventure' fit." he grinned. Rose had to laugh.  
  
"Probably." she agreed. He watched her as she stretched out and yawned, then went toward the kitchen. "I'm sorry. I just got home and I'm exhausted. Sorry I can't cook something." she apologized.  
  
"It's okay, I'll get you something. Ramen okay?" he smiled. She nodded and smiled. As soon as the ramen was ready, he brought her a bowl. The poor thing was asleep already. She looked really peaceful asleep, he thought. She turned over to one side and a strand of her long red hair fell over her face. Kurama set the bowl down and brushed it off of her face, smiling as he did so. She stirred a little bit. Suddenly, Kurama got a semi-devious idea. Picking up the phone, he dialed Yusuke's phone number quickly. "Uh, hi. Sorry, guys, but I have to bail. Homework and I'm tired... sorry."  
  
"Gosh, we'd have let you be had we known. See you later, Kurama." Hiei said. As Kurama hung up the phone, he heard Rose wake up quietly and grab the bowl of ramen.  
  
"Thanks." she said as she ate. He grinned then saw the stereo. "If you want, take a look." she said to him between mouthfuls. He walked over to the stereo and opened the CD tray, then looked back at her in puzzlement. "Hillary Duff. Go ahead, turn it on. But I warn you, it's in English." she cautioned. He turned it on to hear some strange song with a sad sort of beat to it.  
  
"It's 'Coming Clean'. I burn stuff sometimes, so there's no telling what I put on after that. I think I put 'Pink Rose' on after that. (A/n: Pink Rose is a Dance Dance Revolution song. I like it, so nyah!) True to her guess, it was. Kurama looked at the stereo while Rose ate the ramen. "Uh, Kurama, it's not going to move or anything." she said. Then she paid attention to the song. "OH MY GOD!" she shouted.  
  
"Who was that? It sounded like a boy." Kurama asked.  
  
"It was one of my old guy friends from America. Just ignore what he said, he's a kidder." she smiled nervously.  
  
"An old boy friend? He said he loved you." Kurama asked suspiciously.  
  
"He was joking." she grinned. "Anyhow, why would you care? It's not like we're dating or anything..."  
  
"By your standards, no we aren't. But according to the gossip at school, we are." he nodded.  
  
"And you pay attention to that? Those are just girls looking for kicks, and they get 'em by spreading rumors about us. I just ignore them. I didn't in America and look where it got me..." she mumbled. Then she noticed Kurama paying close attention to her and she sighed. "Cat's out of the bag, eh? I suppose I had better tell you."  
  
"Yes, and soon, preferably." Kurama said frostily.  
  
"Okay. Back in the U.S., I didn't have too many friends, and a majority were guys. We were a lot like the Reikai Tantei on days off: goofing around and acting like normal teens. But all the gossip had it that I was dating one of the guys, and so we all grew distant. Pretty soon the only guy left by my side was Gene, and he had a crush on me. Well, we went to a dance together as friends, and a terrible thing happened. Someone stepped on the hem of my jeans and I tripped, right into his arms. If it wasn't bad enough, I accidentally kissed him. Of course I fled the scene. But he asked me out a few days later. I said yes, in my embarrassment. Then, a few days before the move, I broke up with him. I said we weren't really meant for each other, since we had been fighting over the tiniest things. It was really enraging, and especially since I was around him twenty four seven." She explained.  
  
"You don't mean that..."  
  
"Yes, Kurama. I was a runaway for almost 6 months. And Gene was 18. A senior. He said he wanted to marry me out of high school, but I thought he was joking. Until he gave me a ring. And that's when I broke up with him and ran home to my parents. He sends me e-mails with vocal attachments. And the last one I got, I..."  
  
"Accidentally burned the attachment to a CD." Kurama finished in shock. "I don't get why you ran away."  
  
"I had just turned 15, and I was mad at my parents for a really trivial reason. I didn't think moving would be fun. I was wrong, of course, but I didn't know that at the time. All I knew was that I'd be moving across the ocean. And I didn't like it. So Gene took me under his wing. He had an apartment. And now, I think he's going to come to Japan to find me." Rose said shakingly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he said he still loved me and would find me in his last e-mail." she shuddered.  
  
Solaris: Ooh, a cliffhanger. Woo-Hoo.  
  
Foxglove: Okay, that does it! pulls out a king-sized bag of skittles  
  
Solaris: What are you doing with that? OH GOD NO! I DUN WANNA BE HYPER NOW! I'M TRYING TO REST!  
  
Kurama: Now, now, Foxglove, let's not be hasty... sweatdrop 


	21. Owari

A Fox Thief in Tokyo?  
  
Solaris: Hey! You've reached a crucial point in this story. Yeah, sad to say, this is the end. Finito. Done. Owari. I had two endings for this and I couldn't decide, but another author gave me advice on which ending to use. Thank you, YYH-Yu-Yu-Hakusho-Fan, for solving this crisis. And now, the disclaimer: For the final time, I don't own YYH.   
---------------------------   
Rose was walking to a nearby café, lighthearted. Two great things in one day! Gene had e-mailed her to say something had come up and he couldn't come for a while (which, with him, generally meant 'never'), and Kurama had called her to ask if she wanted to get lunch, effectively getting her out of training. As she walked into the café, she was whistling.  
  
Kurama was sitting by a window, waiting for Rose. As she sat down, he noticed her bright smile. "What's up?" he asked.  
  
"Gene had to cancel his visit. I'm happier than I ever thought I could be!" she smiled.  
  
"Uh, Rose? How long has it been since you last checked your e-mail?" Kurama asked.  
  
"I checked it just this morning. Why?" she asked, puzzled.  
  
"Don't you think that he could have e-mailed you earlier in the week or something?" Kurama asked.  
  
Don't bring me down!" she grinned. Then a set of hands covered her eyes.  
  
"Miss me?" a voice said. Rose turned around, gasping.  
  
"GENE?" she cried. The sandy haired boy grinned. "What the –?"  
  
"I finished early and decided to surprise you. God... talking Japanese gives me a headache. Am I interrupting something?" he said.  
  
"Only lunch." she replied.  
  
"Don't worry, Rose. I'll let you talk to Gene alone. After all, you'll get to speak your native language. Better than with me." Kurama smiled. Inside he was furious. How dare this boy interrupt his once-peaceful lunch with Rose? Not to mention he had killed Rose's good mood. The jerk.  
  
"Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't know. But now that I'm here, why don't you show me around?" Gene asked.  
  
"Sure." she sighed. Seeing the attractive red head leave the café was depressing. Seeing the smiling American boy in front of her didn't help.  
  
"Shuichi, what's wrong? I thought you had a lunch to go to?" Shiori asked her son as soon as he walked through the door.  
  
"I didn't feel well, and I don't want to talk about it." he said mopingly. He'd had a bad feeling ever since Gene had entered the café. And it was only getting worse.  
  
Hiei sat in the tree, watching Kurama straighten his room, even though it was already clean. He had the feeling that his friend wanted to be left alone. Besides, it was a nice early April day, and he had a strange desire to go walking.  
  
Rose dropped by the house that night. Shiori knew the lovely young girl by sight now, and pointed her to Kurama's room. She tapped the door lightly.  
  
"Come in." he said. She entered the room and sat on the foot of the bed.  
  
"My life is officially over. Gene works for the same company Mom and Dad do. Worse yet, he's the headman's lackey. And the boss just called us back to the U.S. for keeps. No arguing and I gotta go too." she sighed as she laid back.  
  
"But that means you'd be gone forever!" Kurama cried in shock.  
  
"Yeah. Or at least until I graduate. We leave in a few days. We're packing up now, shipping the day before we leave. The house is already on the market." Rose said sadly.  
  
"Your parents work fast." Kurama said.  
  
"Yeah, and they'll want me home to pack soon, so I'd better amskray. Uh... can you come see me off in three days?" she asked.  
  
"Sure. Bye, Rose."  
  
Three days later, he met the girl at the airport. She unexpectedly hugged him.  
  
"Goodbye, Kurama. Love you, miss you." she said.  
  
"Goodbye, Rose. Love you, miss you too." he said. He meant love as a very good friend, she meant love, but there was no time to discuss it now. Her plane was about to leave. As it took off, Rose stared out the window, hoping to catch a final glimpse of Kurama.  
  
"Goodbye, Tokyo. Goodbye, Japan..." she murmured.  
  
"Huh, Rose?" Gene asked. She shook her head. "Good. I got my girl by me again. And this time, I won't lose you." he smiled.  
  
OWARI


End file.
